Biomedical Science BSc (Hons)

This course has been specifically designed in collaboration with local NHS clinical laboratories and has been accredited by the Institute of Biomedical Science. Scientific and clinical staff from hospitals in North Wales will be heavily involved in all aspects of teaching and guest presentations will be given by international diagnostic companies.

You will be taught how to investigate various medical conditions including cancer, toxicological insult, food poisoning, anaemia, meningitis and cardiac disease. The course is a 3 year full time programme and there may be an opportunity for those interested in forging careers in NHS pathology laboratories to apply for voluntary work experience during the course. Employment prospects for graduates from this degree are excellent.

Students are required to take 120 credits each year made up of lectures, practicals and interactive exercises, as well as field trips and tutorials. Modules become more specialised as the degree progresses and the number of compulsory modules varies between years. Assessment is by a mixture of formal examination and continuous assessment. Welsh medium modules are also available. The combination of modules for each year of our Biomedical Science degree is shown below. The number of credits is given in brackets after the name of each module.

Why choose Bangor University for this course?

Scientific and clinical staff from hospitals in north Wales are intimately involved in all aspects of teaching. Guest presentations are given by international diagnostic companies.

Cutting-edge science is integral to our research programmes, and feeds through into the teaching environment. Our expertise encompasses the design of novel therapeutic agents, investigation of mechanisms controlling carcinogenesis, study of the molecular processes underlying birth defects and the development of novel methods for controlling tropical diseases.

The Biomedical Science degree has been accredited by the Institute of Biomedical Science (IBMS).

Graduates can specialise in one of several laboratory disciplines within the NHS, including Medical Microbiology, Clinical Biochemistry, Cellular Pathology, Immunology, Haematology and Transfusion Science, or follow a career in a variety of medical diagnostic and research environments.

Key Facts from UniStats

This course has been specifically designed in collaboration with local NHS clinical laboratories and has been accredited by the Institute of Biomedical Science. Scientific and clinical staff from hospitals in North Wales will be heavily involved in all aspects of teaching and guest presentations will be given by international diagnostic companies.

You will be taught how to investigate various medical conditions including cancer, toxicological insult, food poisoning, anaemia, meningitis and cardiac disease. The course is a 3 year full time programme and there may be an opportunity for those interested in forging careers in NHS pathology laboratories to apply for voluntarty work experience during the course. Employment prospects for graduates from this degree are excellent.

Students are required to take 120 credits each year made up of lectures, practicals and interactive exercises, as well as field trips and tutorials. Modules become more specialised as the degree progresses and the number of compulsory modules varies between years. Assessment is by a mixture of formal examination and continuous assessment. Welsh medium modules are also available.

The combination of modules for each year of our Biomedical Science degree is shown below. The number of credits is given in brackets after the name of each module.

What will you study on this course?

Year 1

The first year is an introduction to important aspects of Biomedical Sciences and includes lectures, laboratory practicals and tutorial sessions in key foundation subjects.

Since year 1 is common for all undergraduate degrees in the School of Medical Sciences, you will have an opportunity to change to Medical Sciences (B100) or Medical Biology (B103) before the start of year 2

Compulsory modules:

Foundation in Molecules and Cells

Key Skills in Medical Science

Foundation in Chemistry

Good Laboratory Practice

Biomedical Practicals

Physiology and Anatomy

Introduction to Microbiology

Foundation in Therapeutics

Year 2

Compulsory modules:

Molecular Biology & Biochemistry

Cell Biology

Vocational Skills

Haematology & Transfusion

Basic Clinical Biochemistry

Human Immunology

Medical Microbiology

Histology & Histochemistry

Cancer Genetics

Year 3

Compulsory modules:

Medical Genetics

Drug Development

Microbiology & Human Disease

Haematology and Transfusion

Clinical Biochemistry

Diagnostic Cellular Pathology

Pathophysiology

Integrated Research Project

There may be an opportunity for those interested in forging careers in NHS Pathology laboratories to apply for voluntary work experience during the course. During this period it may be possible to follow a training programme designed to meet the requirements for eligibility to apply for registration as a Biomedical Scientist with the Health and Care Professions Council on completion of the degree.

Module listings are for guide purposes only and are subject to change annually.

Modules for the current academic year

Module listings are for guide purposes only and are subject to change. Find out what our students are currently studying on the Biomedical Science Modules page.

Course content is for guidance purposes only and may be subject to change.

Biomedical scientists are in demand by a wide range of employers in areas such as the health service, pharmaceutical industry, medical research, food science, public health and forensic science and the degree is also accepted by many universities for postgraduate courses in Medicine, Dentistry and Veterinary Science.

Opportunities at Bangor

The University’s Skills and Employability Service provides a wide range of resources to help you achieve your graduate ambitions. Developing your personal skills and enhancing your employability while at university is becoming increasingly important in today’s job market.

The Bangor Employability Award enables students to build on their transferable skills through the recognition of activities they become involved in during their university life. Students can gain points towards the award through extra-curricular activities such as volunteering, attending workshops or actively participating in the Students’ Union’s clubs and societies.

The HEAR is a final graduation report that all undergraduates receive. The report itemises all academic achievements and additional extra and co-curricular achievements. Academic achievements appear on the report automatically and students are able to note their eligible activities by using the online platform ‘My Employability Hub’. This ensures that future employers are made aware of the additional skills the student has gained outside of the curriculum.

The Award is open to everyone and taking part in the scheme can make a major difference to your performance in the graduate job market.

Internships

Bangor University runs undergraduate and postgraduate internship schemes twice a year, which allow students to work in a professional environment while learning relevant skills and earning money.

Internships offer valuable experience in a professional workplace and there are a range of internships you can get involved in.

Student Volunteering

Not only is volunteering worthwhile – it also improves your employability and widens your experience.

The Students’ Union has a dedicated Student Volunteering Office (SVB) which currently contributes a total of 600 hours each week, promoting a close relationship between the university and the local community. Find out more on the Student Volunteering pages of the Bangor Student’s Union website.

TARGETconnect - Working while you Study

The Skills and Employability Service offers support to students searching for employment during and after their studies.

International Candidates: school leaving qualifications and college diplomas are accepted from countries worldwide (subject to minimum English Language requirements). More information here.

We also welcome applications from mature applicants.

*For a full list of accepted Level 3 qualifications, go to www.ucas.com.

For 2019 entry:

128-112 tariff points including a level 3 qualification* in Biology and preferably at least AS (or equivalent) in Chemistry. *Level 3 qualifications include A levels, BTEC, Access, Irish Highers, International Baccalaureate, Welsh Baccalaureate, Scottish Advanced Highers and others – for a full list, please refer to the new UCAS tariff at www.ucas.com.

Applications with the new WJEC Medical Science A Level will also be considered for all our undergraduate programs.

We also welcome applications from mature applicants, individuals with European qualifications and international applicants (subject to minimum English language requirements).

Applicants wishing to undertake Access to Higher Education Diplomas to gain entry onto this course should note that only Science or Bioscience diplomas provide the necessary pre-requisite knowledge.

General University entry requirements

We accept students with a wide range of qualifications and backgrounds and consider each application individually.

All students need to have good basic skills and the University also values IT and communication skills.

As part of the University’s policy we consider applications from prospective disabled students on the same grounds as all other students.

To study a degree, diploma or certificate course you’ll be asked for a minimum of UCAS Tariff points. For a fuller explanation of the UCAS Tariff Points, please see www.ucas.com

We also consider applications from mature students who can demonstrate the motivation and commitment to study a university programme. Each year we enrol a significant number of mature students. For more help and advice about being a mature student at Bangor, please visit the Study at Bangor site.

Specific entry requirements can be seen on the individual course pages.

EU and International students' entry requirements

For information and further detailed guidance on entry requirements for EU and International Students, including the minimum English Language entry requirement, please visit the Entry Requirements by Country pages. International applicants can also visit the International Education Centre section of our website for further details.

If you attend your Graduation Ceremony, there will be a cost for gown hire (£25-£75) and cost for guest tickets (£12 each).

Course-specific additional costs
Depending on the course you are studying, there may be additional course-specific costs that you will be required to meet. These fall into three categories:

Mandatory Costs: these are related to a particular core or compulsory module that you’ll be required to complete to achieve your qualification e.g. compulsory field trips, uniforms for students on placement, DBS Check.

Necessarily Incurred Costs: these may not be experienced by all students, and will vary depending on the course e.g. professional body membership, travel to placements, specialist software, personal safety equipment.

Optional Costs: these depend on your choice of modules or activity and they are shown to give you an indication of the optional costs that may arise to make sure your choice is as informed as possible. These can include graduation events for your course, optional field trips, Welcome Week trips.

Mandatory Costs:

*Hep B Vaccine including blood tests approx. £200.00

3rd Year Dissertation Printing £3.00-£28.00

3rd Year Printing Posters £15.00

Necessarily Incurred Costs:

For Biomedical Science BSc with workplacement: students on work placements may have to pay travelling costs to their placements.

For Biomedical Science BSc with international experience: students on international experience programs will have to pay travelling costs, accommodation and living expenses.

Optional Costs:

Highly Recommended E member of IBMS E10:00 per year.

Welcome Week trips etc. arranged by Peer Guides (approx. £20:00).

Notes:

*Students will need to have had two of the three vaccine course prior to starting the programme.

If students have already had the vaccine they will need to provide documentary evidence and proof of a recent blood test.

Option 2- Applying to study at Bangor through UCAS

UCAS is an online application system allowing students to apply for up to five courses in the UK through one application. You can apply for more than one programme at a specific university, for example you could apply to study BA Psychology and BSc Psychology with Clinical and Health Psychology at Bangor. Find out more about how to apply to Bangor University through UCAS

If you have applied through UCAS already then you may wish to visit the International Student pages of UCAS website for further information.

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Studying at Bangor

Rated Gold for teaching

We have been awarded a Gold rating, the highest rating possible, for the standarad of our teaching in the Teaching Excellence Framework (TEF) assessment. The TEF assessment took into account teaching quality, learning environment and student outcomes and learning gain. We were judged to deliver consistently outstanding teaching, learning and outcomes for our students and our teaching is of the highest quality found in the UK.

A top 10 university

The National Student Survey (NSS) results place Bangor amongst the UK’s top 10 universities (excluding specialist institutions) for student satisfaction. This reflects the University’s focus on overall student experience.